City of Raleigh issued the following announcement on Dec. 11.
Staying Safe
While fireplaces often conjure up images of warmth and comfort, they also represent a significant source of home heating fires. Fireplaces or chimneys are involved in almost two out of five home heating fires, according to the National Fire Protection Association. Learn tips from the Raleigh Fire Department for staying safe this winter.
Here’s how you can reduce the risk of fires caused by a fireplace, says RFD’s fire educator Lemuel Hubbard:
Have your chimney inspected and cleaned annually by a qualified professional.
Even if the chimney is not due for cleaning, check for animal nests or other blockages that could prevent smoke from escaping.
Keep anything that can burn at least three feet away from a fireplace, a wood stove or any other heating equipment, and create a three-foot “kid-free zone” around open fires.
Make sure the fireplace has a sturdy screen to stop sparks from flying into the room.
Never leave a fireplace fire unattended. Make sure it’s completely out before going to bed or leaving the house. If you leave the room while the fire is burning or the fireplace is still hot, take your small child with you.
Put fireplace tools and accessories out of a young child’s reach. Also, remove any lighters and matches.
Make sure ashes are cool before putting them in a metal container and keep them at a safe distance from your home.
Install both smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. Test them monthly and change the batteries at least once a year.
Keep a fire extinguisher on hand.
What Causes Home Heating Fires?
According to the National Fire Protection Association, we are in peak season for home heating fires. Half of all home heating fires occur in the months of December, January and February.
Space heaters are most often responsible for home heating equipment fires, accounting for more than two in five fires, as well as the vast majority of associated deaths and injuries.
Fireplaces or chimneys are involved in about three in 10 home heating equipment fires. Creosote, a sticky, oily, combustible substance that’s created when wood doesn’t burn completely, rises into the chimney as a liquid and deposits on the chimney walls. This plays a role in one-quarter of all home heating fires each year.
Other leading types of home heating equipment fires include central heat systems and water heaters.
Original source can be found here.
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